Aaron Rodgers said he feels ready for the new NFL season with the New York Jets after enduring "one of the hardest training camps in the last eight years" of his career.
Quarterback Rodgers, who is returning from an Achilles injury that forced him to miss much of 2023, was told by head coach Robert Saleh to expect a tough preseason.
And speaking to reporters after practice on Tuesday, the 40-year-old insisted that Saleh had lived up to his word.
"I would say the camp is much harder this year and maybe the hardest in the last seven or eight of my career," Rodgers said.
According to Saleh, the Jets have completed 300 more practice reps than they had at this point last season as they look to end their longest ever playoff drought.
The 45-year-old is under increasing pressure to deliver this time around after totalling a record of 18-33 in his first three seasons in charge.
While Rodgers said there are different philosophies on the benefits and risks of a rigorous training camp, the four-time MVP said he personally enjoyed the experience.
"Some of the older players are enjoying the - to steal a coaching word - the 'callus' part of training camp, where you're grinding," Rodgers said.
"Some people believe that, although it puts more strain on you in training camp, it actually gets you more ready to play when the season starts.
"And some people believe the opposite. You know how it goes. Whatever teams are having success, people kind of look at their schedule and go, 'Let's do that.'"
The Jets conclude their preseason against the New York Giants, having won their previous such fixtures against the Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers.
Rodgers has not featured during the preseason, and it is expected he will also miss out against the Giants, although Saleh has yet to confirm his plans for the 40-year-old.
They open the new season against the San Francisco 49ers, and Rodgers said he feels ready for the new campaign after putting in extra work during the training camp.
"I feel good about where I am with my body and what I've put together," he said.
"I feel like I've done different things throughout camp as far as the rollouts, roll out and pulling up, getting out of the pocket and making plays, going back across my body, pump-faking and extending plays and getting some yards. I feel like I've done a lot."
Falcons make Terrell second highest-paid CB in NFL history with $81m deal
The Atlanta Falcons are making A.J. Terrell the second highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, handing him a four-year contract extension worth $81million.
Terrell will receive $65.8m in guaranteed money, according to a report from NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
The Green Bay Packers' Jaire Alexander, who signed a four-year, $84m extension in 2022, is the only cornerback to earn more than Terrell will make on his new deal.
Terrell was selected 16th overall by Atlanta in the 2020 NFL draft and has only missed seven games through his first four seasons with the team.
He was set to play on his fifth-year rookie option, worth $12.3m, in 2024, but the team have moved to tie him down for the long-term with his bumper new deal.
Terrell was voted into the second All-Pro team in 2021 and has compiled 247 tackles, 43 passes defensed, four interceptions and one sack for the Falcons to date.
He was an ever-present as they went 7-10 for a third straight season under Arthur Smith in 2023, prompting them to fire the head coach and bring in Raheem Morris as his replacement.
Atlanta have been busy revitalising their offense during the offseason, completing a huge free agency move for former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins before drafting Michael Pinix Jr. eighth overall as his long-term successor.
Tying Terrell down was seen as a key requirement on the defensive side of the ledger, and news of his extension comes as a major boost ahead of their season opener versus the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 8.
NFL MVP Jackson not using outside criticism as motivation
Lamar Jackson is not using outside criticism as motivation as he looks to go one step further in 2024 and lead the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl.
Jackson was named NFL MVP for the second time in the 2023 season, having previously claimed the award in 2019.
He recorded career-high figures for passes attempted (457), completed (307) and passing yards (3,678), also throwing for 24 touchdowns and totalling 821 rushing yards.
However, he was unable to lead Baltimore to Super Bowl LVIII as John Harbaugh's team were beaten by the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Jackson was criticised for his performance in that contest and has a 2-4 postseason record, but he is shutting out any noise surrounding his big-game displays ahead of the new season.
"I mean, I'm motivating myself because I know what I want to do, at the end of the day," he told reporters.
"Those guys have their time. I really don't care what the criticism is or what the critics say because at the end of the day, I just came off a season-ending injury the year before and we made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game in a new system.
"So, it's nothing to be down on myself, my team-mates or anything like that because we made it far, further than other years. We haven't been to the AFC in a long time…
"We've just got to keep going. We criticise ourselves more than anyone else. So, what people say on the outside, that's just their take.
"They can believe what they want to believe, but we know what we want, we know what we're striving for."
Broncos name rookie Nix starting quarterback
The Bo Nix era in Denver will begin right away.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton announced Wednesday that the rookie has won the team's starting quarterback job and will be under center for the season opener at the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 8.
Nix, the 12th overall pick in this year's draft, beat out veterans Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson for the starting job following a pair of impressive showings in Denver's first two preseason games. The former Oregon and Auburn standout will be the first rookie to start a Broncos season opener since Hall of Famer and franchise icon John Elway in 1983.
"He's been outstanding," Payton told reporters following Wednesday's practice.
Nix seized the starter's role with a strong preseason debut against the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 11 and an even better performance against the Green Bay Packers one week later. The 24-year-old completed 15 of 21 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown against the Colts, then followed up with 80 yards and a touchdown on 8-of-9 passing against Green Bay.
The Broncos scored points on six of seven drives led by Nix over those two games.
"The past few weeks I've felt really comfortable," Nix said. "Getting to a different defence, playing these preseason games have really helped me a lot. I think that's helped in the growth process.
"I feel really comfortable where I'm at now, and excited to get to the last week of preseason and then get to the full season."
Nix arrived in Denver as one of the most accurate and experienced quarterbacks in college football history. His 61 career starts are the most by any Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) quarterback, and he set a new FBS record for completion percentage in a single season after connecting on 77.4 per cent of his throws with Oregon in 2023.
The 2023 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, Nix also won the William Campbell trophy - considered the "Academic Heisman" - as the American college football player with the best combination of academics, community service and on-field performance.
Nix was the last of six quarterbacks taken in the first 12 selections of this year's draft, and the third to be officially declared his his team's starter going into the season. Top overall choice Caleb Williams will start for the Chicago Bears in Week 1, as will No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels for the Washington Commanders.
"We feel like [this] offseason, at such an important position, we made some really good decisions," Payton said. "And we're going to have a chance to see them unfold at the season goes on."
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